Dibrugarh: Following the Assam government’s decision to include the Mising, Tiwa, and Rabha communities under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, calls have escalated from the Sonowal Kachari, Deori, and Thengal Kachari communities for similar constitutional protection and autonomous governance. During a press conference at Banikanta Pegu Bhawan in Dibrugarh on Friday, leaders from various organizations expressed support for the inclusion of the Mising, Tiwa, and Rabha communities but strongly condemned the state’s decision to exclude the Sonowal Kachari, Deori, and Thengal Kachari groups. They labeled this exclusion as “discriminatory and unjust,” asserting that their long-standing demands had once again been overlooked.
Earlier in the day, Abdul Deori, president of the Deori Assong Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, organized a joint meeting that included representatives from the All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union, the Deori Assong Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, the Sonowal Kachari Yuva Parishad, and members of the All Assam Deori Mahila Parishad. The organizations unanimously resolved to initiate a joint movement to advocate for Sixth Schedule status and constitutional safeguards for their communities.
The meeting’s conclusions were grounded in the recommendations of the 1996 Bhuria Committee Report, presented to Parliament by Dilip Singh Bhuria, and the establishment of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council in 1983, which brought three districts under the Sixth Schedule. They decided to formally present their arguments to both the Assam government and the central government.
As part of their agitation plan, the groups announced a mass sit-in protest in Guwahati on January 19, demanding Sixth Schedule inclusion for the Sonowal Kachari, Deori, and Thengal Kachari communities. Additionally, they resolved to organize a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on February 5, with support from national-level organizations from the three tribes. They plan to submit a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his upcoming visit to the Mising Festival at Kareng Chapori in Bogibeel later this month, urging the Centre to address their demands.
A coordination committee has been formed to guide this joint movement, with Kiranban Deori, Milan Sonowal, and Prafulla Thengal (Saikia) serving as conveners. Addressing the media, Milan Sonowal highlighted that communities with much smaller populations had previously received Sixth Schedule status. He cited the Lakher community in Mizoram, which, with a population of around 25,000, achieved autonomous status as far back as 1952, along with the Chakma and Mara areas. He also referenced Tripura, where an autonomous district council was created in 1982, despite a smaller population.
Questioning the government’s logic, Sonowal remarked that the Sonowal Kachari community, boasting over four lakh people, along with the Deori community and the Thengal Kachari community, comprising nearly two lakh and over one lakh residents respectively, are being denied their rightful constitutional protections. He further noted that regions such as the Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, and Garo Hills have been included under the Sixth Schedule, despite having smaller populations.
Leaders Kiranban Deori and Abdul Deori echoed these sentiments, criticizing the government for focusing solely on the Mising, Tiwa, and Rabha communities while overlooking the Sonowal Kachari, Deori, and Thengal Kachari groups, despite their geographical closeness and mutual concerns. They voiced serious apprehensions regarding alleged encroachments by outsiders on Tribal Sub-Plan areas, asserting that the three communities intend to escalate their agitation in the coming days. They also warned that no community’s traditional areas should mistakenly appear in the territorial maps of other Sixth Schedule regions, especially in Upper Assam.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-sonowal-kachari-deori-thengal-communities-demand-sixth-schedule-status-joint-movement-announced.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-01-11 16:15:00
